Newcastle Red Bulls
God bless you Saints!
Thank you!
By Leipziger
May 8 2011
I wake up feeling philosophical this morning. Yes, the Falcons have survived relegation, but I don't think anybody will deny that somewhere there's a Monopoly board missing a Get Out Of Jail Free card. Never before has a team survived in the Premiership on points difference, it was that close.
I read an article about football the other day saying that this is the time of the season when the loudest cheers at a match can be for something happening hundreds of miles away. This was the first time we Falcons have experienced this in the professional era but that is exactly what happened at the Rec in Bath.
While the Geordies in the stands were happy enough when Alex Tait and Luke Fielden scored in the second half, our real joy was reserved for any positive news or even incorrect rumours coming from Franklin's Gardens.
If anybody bet on Leeds being 3-24 up at one point then well done, you can probably afford a round of drinks for the entire South Stand in September.
But that was the depressing reality for those of us with black hearts. At the Rec, the Falcons were being utterly destroyed. What a time for our defence to turn from Hadrian's Wall into a waterfall.
We looked like a team thinking about a beach in Spain rather than a rugby pitch at Esher or Penzance, or even Ayr, in freezing December.
I'm not going to go into details about the match, 29-0 at half-time tells its own story – but considering this was the biggest day in our club's history, the first half might have been the most pathetic 40 minutes of rugby I'd ever seen. After one try I saw James Hudson immediately shout and throw his arm to some team-mates as he stood at the huddle as if to say “BlOOdy get over here now!” It had no effect.
To be fair, our scrum was solid, except when Lee Mears won a penalty by standing up at the engagement, but that was about the only positive.
There was slight hope leading into half-time as we heard that Saints had scored to reduce their deficit against Leeds to 8-24, and I cheered loudly when I read a text from Ma Leipy saying the score was 15-24.
Everyone else already knew!
In the second half the Falcons scored twice in the first 15 minutes, but since the second only made the score 32-12, our minds were only in the Midlands.
There was no news from Northampton until I turned around at some point and saw one Falcon among many jumping around, and made out but three syllables: twenty-five. There was only thing that could mean, and we Geordies on the other side of the walkway celebrated accordingly.
We later found out that it was 28-24 to Northampton – more celebrations. Wino's feed had dried up but Little Monkey was managing to get us some news.
Rumour was that Northampton had a penalty, or might even have scored it. We celebrated regardless.
By the time the full-time whistle went at the Rec (the Falcons lost 42-12 in case you don't know and are interested) it was 31-24 to Northampton.
I doubt any rugby fans have ever sung so much for a team playing so far away as we did yesterday, but we might now want to add “When the Saints go marching in” to our repertoire more regularly.
We heard Northampton had scored another try, we celebrated like heck. They hadn't, so we were tense again.
Whitley Bay Falcon (no idea of his name but he got the 18.45 to London last night) was relaying a running commentary from his mate over the phone for the last few minutes of the Northampton game: “31-24 and Leeds are all over them”. Fear.
I think Northampton held Leeds up. Whitley Bay Falcon then asked his mate a couple of times if he was sure it was full-time. One Geordie who had been to the bar came back to the stand in tears of joy.
I didn't believe it myself until I got a text from my brother. He had messaged me (after being out and then falling asleep!) saying it was 31-24, I replied that I knew that, and was it over yet. He texted back one beautiful word: Result.
Finally the announcer at the Rec decided that for only the second time he would tell us the score from Franklin's Gardens, prompting the latest in so many hugs amongst away fans.
On their way off the pitch, Alan Tait and Jimmy Gopperth made relieved expressions at us. For Tait, next season starts now.
He could do worse than have a frank discussion with James Hudson, whose face could probably have been no more angry had Leeds won. If our captain knows why we've ended up staying in the Premiership on points difference only then I hope he pulls no punches in explaining it to the coaches.
This time last season Alan Tait said that our league position was not something to celebrate (despite what the Master thought), so I presume he feels the same now.
For yesterday was a day of celebration for Newcastle fans, those who pay the wages of the players and coaches. I hope any players or coaches (those who are staying anyway) who were celebrating last night will have woken up today and realised that it is because of them that we are in this position.
It is their responsibility to ensure that, on their watch, we never again have another final day of the season like yesterday.
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I saw Chris Pilgrim and Luke Fielden behind the stand after the match and their body language said everything. I did get Chris's match shirt though! It was a very long and very wet train/car journey up north to get home.
Can only hope for better results next season!!
Leipy does an outstanding job and unlike most travelling fans is unable to take advantage of Steve's excellent buses and has to make his oven travelling arrangements.
Despite the vagaries of rail travel he still produces reports which are the equal of the best of the press reports and better than most.
Many thanks Leipy.
Glad we helped you out. Did feel for Leeds though. Someone has to drop (as we know all too well)
I sat & watched the "highlights"last night & was struck once again how unaggressive we are at the breakdown - Hudson was penalised for in at the side of a ruck, when he could have (should have?) cleared out the offside Lewis Moody (offside as he was over & past the ruck, not bound). Chip taken out in the build up to one of Bath's tries. Maybe, just maybe, it was the way the show was edited, but once more it looked as though there is no fight left in some of the squad.
I am not advocating a return to the amateur days of a punch up at every other scrum, but if we can sort the big hits in tackles, then why not at rucks?
Cheers for the report Leipy, I hope Hudson does have that chat with the management, but that is the type of leadership on the field that has been lacking most of the season.
Saint Morrisey, chances are that through some fortunate scheduling, your academy will play ours during the RWC by Tigs fielding several of them in your derby game.
Still think I'm only just getting over the drama of that ending now, the summer break is needed!
Echo the sentiments of everyone else on here, cheers for your reports throughout the season - always enjoy reading them.
Reading that I was taken straight back to an article I wrote back in 2005 for COYSDC. There are remarkable similarities...
One Wedding, 18 Texts and No Funeral
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011:05:11:18:29:33 by Phil..
Quote:Leipziger
Nice to meet you Dirty, hope you enjoyed the FA Vase final!
Likewise Leipy - aye a 3-2 win for the Bay at Wembley made it a pretty successful weekend all in all!
A matter of feet and inches in the end much like life.
The talk of us being lucky etc is a bit unfair when Leeds lost 38-3 at home to Quins which we certianly didnt etc.
swings and rounabouts, and with the Falcons, a massive dose of luck too.
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